When will I be free?
by shobobbles
Summary: A story of a girl who is treated as a slave and gets by on the knowledge that she is surviving. She knows that she will be free but after her father dies and she is left with her stepmother and sister, is unsure of when that rescue will come.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is my very first story, like ever. Now I'm at uni I feel like my creative side is a little repressed and thought that writing this story would be a good way to let it out. You don't have to read it, although that would be nice and I'm not going to be one of those authors who push fo review either, if you want to, do it. If not, don't. Easy.**

**Chapter One**

"Get yourself down here you lazy piece of crap!" came my father's yell from the kitchen. "Your new family needs you to get their things." I rolled over in my bed, desperate to be anywhere else but my home. You see, my name is Megan Stevens and I am treated as a slave in my own home. My mother died when I was young and she was beautiful and kind and generous, one of the most amazing people in the world. Before she died, we were one big happy family but after she passed everything fell apart. My father became cruel and abusive because, well he said, that I am, and I quote 'a lazy piece of dirt that doesn't deserve to walk on this earth because of the totality of worthlessness'. But I know that that isn't it. It's because I look like my mum and he hates the reminder.

Now, a few years after my mother's death, I have just turned fourteen. My father came to me and told me that he was remarrying and that I was to be sleeping in the attic so that my brand new stepsister could have my room, "I should have kicked you out of it years ago," he said, "it's not as if you deserve it." I went quietly, having given up putting up a fight years ago in an effort to keep the peace, something which hadn't worked. Now, I hoped that my new step-family could succeed where I failed and soothe my father's temper so that we could be a family again. I was wrong. My hopes for a happy family were dashed the second that my new stepmother set foot through the front door. I could see almost automatically that she was a cruel woman. She had a pinched nose, and hard eyes that looked over everything with a calculating glare.

"Francis, most of these decorative items will simply have to go, they are very distateful." Her voice was snotty and proud, like she felt she deserved better than our stately home. My father was weathy, you see and perhaps this is what drew Dreena, my new stepmother, to my father. She seemed to be the type of person who was only to care about money. "And your servant should not be standing as though she is fit to be seen by her master and new mistresses." I waited, with my breath held, to see what my father would say. If he would tell his new wife that the girl she thought to be a servant was, in fact, his daughter. But he didn't.

"You're quite right, my dear. You girl, collect your mistresses' things from the carriage and be careful not to dirty them with your filthy hands or you will receive dreadful punishment." Then he slapped my hard across the face. "Are you deaf, girl? I gave you an order, now hurry up!" I rushed down the front steps to the carriage just as a girl descended from it's interior.

I knew she was related to my new stepmother immediately, as she was a replication of her mother. "Ugh, this place is filthy, and so small, and in the middle of nowhere, we cannot be expected to live here surely? It is very inadequate." Her manner appeared to be the same as well then. She noticed my after finishing speaking, "How dare you stand there idly doing nothing, you insolent girl! Collect our things and take them to our room immediately, and then go and fetch our stepsister, I would like her to know that she is no longer mistress of this house." I curtseyed before giving my reply. "Of course Miss, but if I may say, I believe she already knows about no longer being mistress of the manor as she has not been considered as such by many years."

I could see she was taken aback by my words and internally cursed myself for saying such things, as I knew it would get back to my father. Whilst I had been internally conversing, she had continued to speak. "-you know? You are nothing more than a scrawny little thing. How would you know what goes on in the mind -" I spaced out again as I began my long and arduous task of unloading all the bags from the carriage. The rest of the day was a blur, after I unloaded in the luggage, I was then forced to unpack it and put it away. "Watch my dresses, you foolish girl." my stepsister, Serene screamed at me. I know , Serene right?

"Honestly, the staff here is completely incompetent, that girl who was unloading the luggage completely ruined Serene's dresses Francis. She will have to go, she cannot be trusted around such fines things as we own. She will ruin them all." I was eavesdropping outside the parlour, listening to my stepmother say this to my father. I knew that he didn't like me but I was at least confident that he wouldn't send me away from my home. It turns out this occasion was the only one in which I was correct about.

"The girl cannot leave, Dreena. I am afraid I haven't been completely honest with you about her identity. While I despise her for being the useless lump that she is, I simply refuse to send her away." It was the first time in years that I had heard my father talk about me with any semblance of care.

"But Francis -"

"No Dreena, this is my final say on the matter. She will wash the dresses with care and if the dirt will not come out then she will spend the next week without sleep sewing Serena a new wardrobe, but she will not leave this house." I heard my father approach the door and scuttled away to the kitchen, to where I had been ordered to stay whilst they had that conversation. It had given me hope once more that perhaps in the future, my father would care for me once more and allow me to return to my rightful place as a lady of the household, rather than a maid. But it seemed that my stepmother wasn't happy with the outcome of the conversation as her next words echoed through the whole house.

"Why is a serving girl more important than your new family?"

"Because she is my daughter." The silence that followed was deafening. It appeared as though my stepmother had forgotten all about that. "As much as I wish she was never born, she is the only remnant of my late wife and I swore to Laia that Megan would always remain here until such a time came that she chose to leave of her own free will."

The following week was brutal. I had tried my damnedest to remove the dirt and filth from Serene's dresses (even though there was none in the first place) but upon 'inspection' my stepmother and sister declared them unfit for wear and ordered my to burn them and begin to sew new ones. I knew that this was her way of punishing me for being my father's daughter. My father was true to his word and I received no sleep as I made dress after dress after dress, a process that was made all the more difficult when Serene refused to let me measure her so that they were the right size. "I have no desire to have your filthy hands touch me, I already feel positively disgusting as it is just being in the same room as you."

"But Miss, I cannot sew your dresses to the correct size if I do not have your measurements." I said, bowing my head. "If I tried to without, I may make them too small, or even perhaps, too big. I wish to do my best on these dresses so that Miss will be pleased with them."

"I will never be pleased with whatever you would make me but I do need dresses so that I can go shopping for new ones in, for I refuse to go to court in dresses made by a servant!" The very idea of that seemed to pale her drastically. It must have been a devastating notion to her, because she allowed me to take the necessary measurements with no further complaint.

But it was not just the dressmaking task that I was expected to carry out. Once that was completed, I was to clean the entire house myself, then make my family breakfast, then tend to the gardens, then make lunch for the house and then accompany them on whatever outing they went on, to wait on them (meaning I'm basically their pack mule). My day didn't even end there as upon return to the manor I would be expected to make dinner and then attend to Dreena and Serene as they got ready for bed. I never got to my bed until late in the night and then would be up to do the same things just a few short hours later.

My father was brutal as well, if I failed to do one of the tasks I was set by my step-family then I would be punished – and severely. I saw no hope that things would get better for me, no hope that the future would hold something that would save me, and no hope that I would find someone who would love me so completely, so wholly, so truly, for who I am. I mean, who could ever love someone like me, an abused serving girl with nothing exactly special in the looks department. But this was another situation in which I was mistaken.

You see, that is what my story is truly about. A girl, who is nothing special, mistreated by her family, is rescued by her prince. But my rescue was not for years to come, whereas right now? I had to suffer the step-family. I had to survive.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I want to thank my very first reviewer. I know that this kind of story has been done a lot and I am going to try my very best to make it fresh and different. This chapter goes to that reviewer and to all the people who have read my story so far. Thanks!. P.S I do have a plan for this story that will make it different from the other ones out there.**

**Chapter Two**

I always thought that when I turned eighteen I would be free, free from the oppression and torture of the people who were supposed to be my family, but a few days before my birthday, the worst thing that could happen, happened. My father's funeral attracted many nobles from across the land, and many commoners too, all wishing to pay their respects to the man who led my household. I knew that some came also out of curiosity to see if I would show up, or at least the me they remember. My father had said to court that I had gone to stay with distant relatives after my mother's death to aid in my grief and so they thought that I would return for this.

"... we lay his bones to the ground, we remember the family he left behind, and send our prayers to his wife, Dreena, his stepdaughter, Serene and his daughter, Megan, wherever she is today. Amen." The priest finished my father's service and everyone began to leave the church to return to the manor. As I left to catch the carriage back to the house, for I was expected to serve the guests today, I heard some of the guests speaking amongst each other. "...didn't even come to her father's funeral...", "...too devastated by this new loss, poor girl..." I left them talking and climbed on the back of the carriage, for a servant would never be permitted to ride in the carriage with the grieving ladies.

Upon our return at home, Dreena ordered me out of the house until dinner. "I do not wish to look upon your face, you horrible child. Get out of this house until it is time for you to prepare dinner. Today has been far to stressful to deal with you right now."

"Yes, ma'am." I gave a small curtsey and left the manor. I contemplated running away, leaving completely, but I could not. All of my life had been spent in that house, a house, and estate, that was legally mine, though I knew I would not see a penny of it. I decided, in the end, to walk in the woods. The forest had always calmed me, even as a small child and I knew that in amongst the trees I would be able to grieve to the level in which I was meant.

There was an oak tree I favoured, one that had a me-sized alcove in it's trunk and on days when I had the chance to, I enjoyed coming here. Neither of my step-family knew about this place and that's what made it perfect. I knew now that the protection of my father would no longer be there and I didn't know what was to become of me. "What am I to do?" I whispered into the darkness around me.

"You could run away with the circus, or marry a prince." I jumped at the sudden voice and banged my head on the ceiling of the alcove. "Ouch, that looked sore."

"Who are you," I said, as I climbed out of my sanctuary. "Show yourself." I fell backwards as a young man, around my own age, fell from the branches above. "I have nothing worth stealing." I said automatically, fearing he was a thief.

"I am not here to steal, my lady." he offered me his hand to help me up, as I was now sitting on the leaves and dirt of the forest floor. I refused it.

"I am no lady. And if you are not here to steal, then why would you be lurking within the treetops? That is a very thief-like thing to do." I picked myself up and brushed of my dress. "Excuse me, I must be getting back to my mistress' home to prepare dinner."

"Well, at least allow me to escort you." He held out his arm, and then dropped it when I brushed past him.

"Thankyou but I am perfectly capable of walking myself home, sir." With that, I left him standing by the oak tree and prepared for what was to come when I arrived back at the manor.

The second I walked in the door, I found myself flying through the air and slamming against the wall. "Where on earth have you been? Serene needed you to help her undress, you lazy girl!" My stepmother had dealt me a hand, something which never would have been had my father had not passed. He may have mistreated me, but he never once raised his hand, nor would he allow my stepmother to.

"I apologise, Mistress. You asked me to leave the house until it was time to prepare dinner, I did not realise that I would be needed before then." I struggled to stand with the pain shooting through my body.

"We are eating at a dear friends tonight. You will not be required to attend. Do not leave this house or you will face grave repercussions. Your father is not here any more and you will not be granted the leniency that he bade me give you. You shall never leave this houses employ. Do you understand?" She gave me a look of disgust and departed the room. I dragged myself to a sitting position and looked at the door. I could not stay here, I would not stay here. So I began to plan. I only had a few hours before Dreena and Serene would return, if they were not planning to stay the night at the 'dear' friends. This would be my only opportunity to escape and I could not waste it. I gathered my things together, as sparse as they were, and took some food from the kitchen. But I did not know where I would go. No one would believe me to be Megan Stevens, daughter of a nobleman. I was alone but I had no choice to start my journey, my very survival was at stake.

A/N the next chapter will follow the mysterious forest male, but it won't be in his p.o.v. Meep.


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